Senator Ed Markey, 80, has won the Democratic Party primary in Massachusetts, defeating 47-year-old Congressman Seth Moulton. The victory allows Markey to seek re-election to his Senate seat in the general election in November.
The main message from the primary is that the push for younger political leadership has failed in Massachusetts. Markey defeated Moulton, while other veteran Democratic congressmen, including Stephen Lynch and Richard Neal, also defeated younger challengers.
Moulton ran his campaign on the need for generational change in political leadership, arguing that it was time for a new generation to take control. However, Markey demonstrated that his age did not prevent him from winning strong support from voters. He received backing from prominent progressive Democrats, including Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Elizabeth Warren.
Markey also benefited from his strong support for progressive Democratic policies, including expanding healthcare, fighting climate change and protecting the rights of transgender people. These positions helped him gain support from younger voters and progressive groups, despite being the oldest major candidate in the race.
The result also shows that Massachusetts differs from some other US states where younger Democratic candidates have successfully defeated older politicians. In Massachusetts, all major challenges against the state's veteran Democratic lawmakers failed. This could indicate that voters in the state place greater emphasis on experience and a candidate's record than on age.
In the November general election, Markey will face Republican candidate John Deaton. However, because Massachusetts is a strongly Democratic state, Markey is widely considered to have a strong chance of retaining his seat in the US Senate.